In the manufacture of bullet-resistant soft armor, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) governs the certification process as it applies to the commercial armor marketplace for law enforcement, military, and private security personnel. The standard which applies to body armor is NIJ Standard 0101.06, and it requires a significant amount of testing on sample armor panels in order to validate the performance of the panels. The physical construction of the panels (materials and stitching techniques) is critical to the performance and consistency of the armor. One of the tests that is performed is a “conditioned armor” test whereby a specified number of armor panel samples are “tumbled” in a high heat and humidity chamber for 10 straight days and then shot. This “conditioning” typically causes the soft armor panels to lose their flat shape which can adversely affect ballistic performance.
Therefore it is an object of the present invention to provide a structurally reinforced and water resistant, soft armor ballistic panel. The present invention binds a plurality of ballistic fabric layers together using a liquid-resistant binding tape and a binding thread. The liquid-resistant binding tape is perimetrically disposed about the plurality of ballistic fabric layers, wherein the liquid-resistant binding tape seals a raw cut edge of each of the plurality of ballistic fabric layers. Meanwhile, the binding thread is stitched through the liquid-resistant binding tape and the plurality of ballistic fabric layers in order to secure the liquid-resistant binding tape in place. Together, the liquid-resistant binding tape and the binding thread retain the plurality of ballistic fabric layers in a structurally flat formation and prevent liquid and moisture from seeping into the raw cut edge of each of the plurality of ballistic fabric layers.